The Power of Oats

We hope everyone will join us, this Thursday, October 23, for another healthy and delicious Pathfinder Produce fresh fruit and veggie market.  Stop by from 2 to 5 p.m. for the freshest tastes around!

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This week as part of our 21 Paths to Wellness to celebrate National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we will feature a new healthy recipe, Slow-Cooker Overnight Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal, at our weekly Pathfinder Produce market on Thursday. This is a bit of a different tack for us at the market, because we don't sell the key ingredient in the recipe, but oats are such a nutritional powerhouse, how can you go wrong?

For me, oatmeal is a comfort food, and it was one of my favorite breakfasts growing up. I have dim memories of my mom cooking Maypo, for me very early on. I also have memories of the Maypo commercials, as do most people my age.  The slogan “I want my Maypo,” was apparently the inspiration for the campaign that introduced our generation to MTV in the 1980s. (“I want my MTV” is also a recurring refrain sung by Sting in the Dire Straits hit, “Money for Nothing.”)

Later, when I was able to fix my own breakfast, instant oatmeal became the hot cereal of choice, as it was easy, quick and kept me going through long days at school and sports practices. Nowadays, I don't eat oatmeal as often, but when I do I usually make it using old fashioned rolled oats. I still like to add a touch of real maple syrup too, but I really try to not make it overly sweet.

Oats are a grain crop that grow well on marginal soils, and were being grown by European farmers by the Bronze Age, between 3200–600 BC. (The crop developed earlier in the Fertile Crescent). Oats do not require as much heat to ripen as do other cereal plants, and they are able to tolerate cool, wet summers.  Along with being used in our diets, oats were relied on as animal fodder, especially in the days of horse-drawn implements to provide draft animals extra energy to work. Additionally, oats are grown as a green fertilizer, used for animal bedding, and were even used as a beer ingredient in England, according to Wikipedia. 

The World's Healthiest Foods website offers many good reasons why we should all try to eat more oatmeal. According to WHF, “Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan.  Since 1963, study after study has proven the beneficial effects of this special fiber on cholesterol levels. Studies show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day (an amount found in one bowl of oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%. This is highly significant since each 1% drop in serum cholesterol translates to a 2% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease.”

WHF adds that newer research from Tufts University suggests that oats may offer unique compounds, avenanthramides, which serve to protect LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized by free radicals, which makes this “bad cholesterol” even more dangerous by causing artery damage. Another study by Harvard researchers also found that men taking part in a Physicians Health Study for almost 20 years significantly reduced their likelihood of heart failure by 29% if they had one bowl a day of whole grain oatmeal.

Oats other benefits include boosting the immune system's response to infection, leveling out blood sugar levels, lowering one's risk for Type 2 diabetes, and providing significant protection against breast cancer for women.  Oats are also appear to be well-tolerated by those who have celiac disease, according to a recent double blind study involving 116 children recently diagnosed with this autoimmune disorder.

Here’s our recipe for this week, and we hope you’ll stop by Pathfinder Produce to try a sample:

Overnight Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal (from the blog, Chocolate Broccoli)

Non-stick cooking spray

2 large tart apples (such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady), chopped
1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup whole grain oats
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (this can be reduced if too sweet)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less to your taste)
2 tablespoons milled/ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

Additional Toppings:

1/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans)

Spray a 3-1/2 quart or larger slow cooker (crock-pot) with non-stick cooking spray. Combine chopped apples, milk, water, oats, sugar, butter, and flax, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (overnight). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into the oatmeal just before serving.  If desired, serve with additional toppings (1 tablespoon dried fruit and 1 tablespoon chopped nuts, each)

Yield: 4 one-cup servings.
Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 321; Fat: 13 g; Carbohydrate: 46 g; Fiber: 6 g; Protein: 7 g
 
Until next time, eat hearty and be well!

Lori

"When the frost is on the punkin..."

We hope everyone will join us this week for another great Pathfinder Produce fresh fruits and vegetable market.   This week, as part of our “21 Paths to Wellness,” we’ll be featuring Slow Cooker Pumpkin Granola.  Join us this Thursday at the Village Commons, from 2 to 5 p.m.

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The sights, sounds and smells of autumn always take me back to memories of jumping in leaves, soccer and football games, and going to our local pumpkin farm to pick out our Halloween jack o’ lanterns.  And as the weather got colder, we’d spend more time indoors, typically reading.  As kids, my sisters and I loved the “Little House on the Prairie” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her books always had colorful and instructive descriptions of 19^th century rural life on the Great Plains.

I’m not sure if kids still read these books (they should!); they were popular during the 1970s through the NBC TV show and a “looking back” phase that coincided with the nation’s bicentennial.  Most of the series covers Laura’s own childhood, but one book, “Farmer Boy,” details her husband’s growing up in Malone, New York, up near the Canadian border.

One of the stories from “Farmer Boy” that has stayed with me describes how young Almanzo Wilder grew an enormous pumpkin to enter into the county fair.  Carefully, as the squash was growing, he slit a stem feeding the plant, inserted a wick, and placed the other end into a pan of milk.  Through capillary action, I guess, the pumpkin drank the milk, and the boy would check to see that the pumpkin was well fed.  His diligence and know-how resulted in a robust specimen that won the blue ribbon, even beating entries from older, more experienced farmers.  More information on this method can be found at Steve Spangler’s Science blog.

Back in those days, pumpkin was stewed and served similar to mashed potatoes, garnished with some butter, salt and pepper.  Of course, housewives would also make pies:  Americans always used stewed pumpkin for their pies, but according to one cookbook English cooks would use sliced pumpkin, creating something more like an apple pie.  Pumpkins were also used as animal feed.

Presently, pumpkin is showing up in many convenience foods and beverages, and regular pumpkin canned puree can be the basis of any number of delectable treats.  For a healthy snack as part of Pathfinder’s 21 Paths to Wellness in celebration of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, this week at the produce market we’ll be sharing the pumpkin granola recipe below from blogger Stephanie O’Dea.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Granola
5 cups of rolled oats

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 to 3/4 cup honey (or agave if you prefer)

1 cup whole almonds or toasted pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup dried cranberries/raisins or mixture (add last hour)

Use a large slow cooker (aka ‘crock pot’), holding about 6.5 quarts.  No additional butter or oil is needed, as the pumpkin coats the oats and provides enough moisture to keep the mix from burning.  The honey provides enough sweetness and serves as a binder.  (According to The Prepper Journal, if you don’t have a crock pot that large, you could use a Dutch oven in the oven at 325 degrees F – just be sure to check it often as it will cook in about half the time.  A thin coating of oil in the pot may be advisable).

Stir everything but the dried fruit in. The honey will be ‘gloppy,’ just stir everything as well as you can. Cover and cook in a vented slow cooker (prop the lid open with chopstick or wooden spoon) on high for 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Add dried fruit the last 30-minutes to an hour. (Stephanie advises that when you're happy with the texture and the consistency, it's done!)

Let cool completely; the oats will get a harder and crispier after cooling.  You can spread it all out on layers of foil or parchment paper on the counter to speed up the process. Store in an airtight container in either the fridge or the freezer.

Until next time, be well and enjoy the fall weather!

Lori

Happy Belated National Kale Day

We hope that everyone will be able to join us this Thursday, October 9, for our next delicious Pathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons, between 2 and 5 p.m.  Our 21 Paths to Wellness Recipe of the Week will be featured as part of our celebration of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

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As our gardening season is winding down, I was wondering if there was a way we could continue to grow greens for fresh tasting salads during the winter months.  Earlier in the year, I had learned about kale being a cool weather crop--one that our forbearers would turn to as it grew quickly in the spring and actually improved in taste with the colder temperatures.

One of my “go to” websites is Treehugger, and they recently highlighted a kick-starter campaign for a firm that manufactures some nifty in-window growing trays.  In the video, they show that by growing kale sprouts, families are able to add concentrated nutrients to their diets.  I would think that someone who is innovative would be able to grow a similar window garden with readily available and recycled items, and seeds purchased through any number of internet sources, like Johnny Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, or even on Amazon.   (I think a field trip to Page’s Seeds in Greene, NY, is in order soon … they have been in the seed business in nearby Chenango County for over 100 years and I’ve always found their seeds to be top notch.)

Another set-up I’ve found at the website Well and Good and at Mother Nature Network, uses hydroponics and pumps nutrient rich water through to plants growing in what appear to be recycled soda or water bottles arranged in a vertical layout.  A commercially manufactured setup is for sale at windowfarms; a graphic is provided that gives one a better idea on how the system works.

Another site that is worth exploring is inhabitat.com, which if you follow various threads, talks about the vertical hydroponic garden (powered by solar powered pumps), and other methods of indoor gardening.  The key thing with any indoor garden is to place it where it will receive adequate sunlight and be warm (south facing windows are best), and to make sure it won’t damage anything if there are spills or messy plant accidents.  You also need to build time into your schedule to monitor your plants.

This week, as part of our 21 Paths to Wellness to celebrate National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we’ll be preparing a Waldorf Inspired Kale Slaw, which uses fully matured kale leaves.  More kale menu ideas may be found at Real Simple (sorry for their excessive pop-up ads), and at the website for National Kale Day (who knew?), which we missed on October 1.  The website and the day celebrate “kale’s incredible health benefits, highlights kale’s culinary versatility, and promotes eating, growing and sharing kale throughout America.”

Waldorf Inspired Kale Slaw

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups broccoli slaw mix
• 4 cups chopped kale (tightly packed)
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Gala apples

1. To make the dressing: combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and agave nectar. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, kale, carrot, celery and apple. Toss dressing over vegetables and mix to combine. Salad can be served right away or stored in the fridge. Salad is best eaten the day it is made.

Until next time, be well (and enjoy your kale!)

Lori

21 Paths to Wellness

We hope that you'll be able to join us this Thursday at the next delicious Pathfinder Produce fresh fruits and veggie market at the Village Commons, from 2 to 5 p.m.

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Fall has gotten into high gear here in Central New York with the leaves turning scarlet and gold, and many of our favorite winter keeper fruits and veggies now coming to market. Pathfinder Produce is featuring winter squashes, apples, beets and other great tasting items. During October, National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we will feature healthy recipes at the market, part of the Village’s new 21 Paths to Wellness program.

This initiative, which will be followed by many residents and staff at the Village alike, will feature 21 different ways to improve one’s health, and will show that everyone – no matter their age or physical condition – may make positive changes in modest and incremental ways.  Our 21 Paths Calendar can be found on our Facebook Page and our Pathfinder Village website; we hope that you will print it and join us in our activities or substitute others. We also invite you to share your story on our 21 Paths to Wellness event page if you use Facebook.

As part of the program, this week our vocational staff and pre-vocational students will continue harvesting all the great produce from the 5210 Hoop House to share with our customers at this Thursday’s market.  The market staff also will prepare Crock Pot Applesauce for visitors to try.  (I’ve omitted the added sugar in the recipe below; I would use minimal amounts of substitute sugars like molasses, stevia, agave or xylitol if sweetening is required).

According to the website Quick and Dirty Tips, “The World Health Organization recommends that you limit your intake of added sugars to no more than 10% of your calories [per day]. If you’re an average-sized adult, ten percent of your calories is around 50 grams of sugar, or the equivalent of 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.   The American Heart Association would like to lower the bar to just 5%.”.

I also personally believe in lots of cinnamon, which according to cinnamonvogue.com, has properties that help regulate blood sugar levels, can help fight colds and flu, help with weight control, and improve memory and cognition.  (Based on the tip of a co-worker, I’ve been adding a sprinkle or two of cinnamon to my unsweetened coffee in the morning … it is very enjoyable!).

Crock Pot Applesauce

8 medium apples

1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Ground cinnamon

1.  Peel, core and chop the apples.

2.  Add lemon juice and cinnamon.
3.  Set crock pot to high and cook for 3 hours. Stir apples occasionally, apples will slowly become a delicious applesauce. Use a blender to smooth out applesauce or keep chunky.
4.  Can and process as you would other recipes or keep refrigerated up to 3 weeks.

Until next time, be well!

Lori